Persistent Infections

Abstract

Experimental persistent viral infections in vitro in cell cultures and in vivo in animal models are of considerable practical and theoretical interest in exploring possible mechanisms for viral persistence and pathogenesis in the human host. Human enteroviruses, including the group B coxsackievirus (CVB), are important pathogens generally thought of as being highly lytic viruses that are unlikely to establish persistent infections. Reports of CVB persistence in HeLa cells appeared during the 1960s1,2 and in human fetal diploid (HFD) cells in 19733; and more recently, a number of laboratories have observed CVB persistence both in vitro in various types of cell cultures4–7 and in vivo in the mouse model.8–10 These persistent infections could be useful as models for chronic disease, as they include infection of human heart fibroblasts,5 rat pancreatic cells,4 human lymphocytes,6 and mouse skin fibroblasts7in vitro and mouse heart,8,9 spleen,10 and pancreatic10 cells in vivo.